My Greenhouse FARM In the making!

[puddlefish]

Just jumping on for the ride (sure is an interesting one.)

You're making phenomenal progress on this for the amount of time.

[naser]

no go faster~~~ i want to see those tanks full of juicy corals...

[organicreefer]

me and scuba got tanks at about the same time......
he set up his 220,and built 3/4's of a coral farm...
and i JUST finished painting my hood for my new tank last nigh(tanks been up five months now and is cming along well.i plan to post extensive pictures of the set up within the next week or so.

SCUBA,DO YOU EVEN HAVE A JOB?

[naser]

an empty tank in my house usaully doesnt last long.. i hva e a 40 tall just sitting in my closet thats calling my name.. i usually cant wait till i can fill it so i hurry up..

[scubadude]

Originally posted by organicreefer

SCUBA,DO YOU EVEN HAVE A JOB?

LMAO....Yeah I work at Burger King :P

Seriously when I want something done i dont screw around.....I just dive in! I havent punched a time clock since I was 21....but I manage to make ends meet fairly well :P

Naser, thats your pump circulating that 200gal tank I ordered 2more AM3000's too.

Another reason why I have been working so fast is because it keeps getting hotter and hotter down here....and now I have narrowed my working hours down to morning and evening....so I dont cook!

[naser]

well for you information its only like 80 where i live!! you could work all day and be done twice as fast i know i saw that pump further back. my setup wouldnt require that pump now and was over kill for my situation. good luck

[organicreefer]

scuba,i dont punch a time clock either-im a contractor.i think(no iknow)i wouild have MORE time for the fun stuff iff i had a steady 9-5 gig.as it is im always on the run-work in the mornings estimates into the evening......maybe im just in the wrong business

[Reinhold]

Rocky:

Does it really hit 116 degrees in there? I wouldn't want to spend too much time working inside the greenhouse.

[scubadude]

Originally posted by Reinhold

Does it really hit 116 degrees in there?

I have 3 different thermometers in there now and each one goes well over that during midday :eek3: Im not sure if they are dead on accurate though. But in essence yes it does get that hot from what the therms are tellin me. My tanks havent gotten over 83 yet though and the majority of the time they are at 78-80.

I just got done plumbing the second system both of them should be ready for LR in about a week, maybe less. You can see the one tank that has clear water has been setup for a while and the other the SB is still stirred up. I have also been working on my Top Off system which will work off of an industrial float valve that actuates a 110v solenoid to fill a 22g reservoir that has feeds two lines each of them with float valves. As always opinions and tips appreciated

[Elmo18]

Rocky, this is an amazing project!! I must say you are nuts , but in a good way. I love these pictures you're taking. I really want to start up my 80 gal again, but I will be moving in a month so I do not want to set it up in a "temporary place" again.

I hate moving a tank

Keep those pictures coming and don't work too hard!

- Elmo ;)

[Reinhold]

Scuba:

Do you care to share with us what this unbelievable set-up has cost you so far?

I'm amazed at your speed and energy level.

[scubadude]

Originally posted by Reinhold
Scuba:

Do you care to share with us what this unbelievable set-up has cost you so far?

I'm amazed at your speed and energy level.

Well here are some figures off the top of my head...i think its most of it

$1600 Greenhouse kit 16'x30'
$800 2 - 200gal tanks cost...I have about $400 each into each of these
$78 1 - 100gal rubbermaid tub
$278 700 linnear ft. of 4" thinwall PVC
$288 2 fans and 2 vents from HD
$28 2 thermostats
$258 RO/DI unit and accesories
$60 2 tons of SD sand
$300 plumbing supplys (approx so far)
$280 electrical supplys (breaker box, outlets etc etc)
$38 12 bags of quickcrete
$84 wood and supplies for building stands for tanks
$55 wood and supplies for building 2 tables
$750 Pumps (3 AM3000's)
$90 powerheads
$89 door and wood for greenhouse
$64 sink and plumbing
$369 Rental of trencher machine
$12 gas for trencher machine.
$500 Misc. (so far)
$250 labor

$6271....and im no where near done yet! some of this is guesstimated


I wont even begin to try and figure up my worth in time, I already had all the tools to do what I wanted....definately need a mitre saw! And lots of cordless tools

[FISHme]

Wow !!!! Looks like Dude of Scuba is having fun
Looks good Rocky !!!!

[Elmo18]

Hmm..... 2 TONS SouthDown Vs. 2 Bags of 24 lb Carib Sea.... for $60 bucks.....

I'll take the SouthDown thank you ;;

That is a heck of a lot of sand.

- Elmo

[sand-bed]

Great job. I've been lurking on this thread for a long time. I'm now bright green w/ envy!
RE: temps. In the pics of the lifeguard thermometer, it seems like your air temps are taken in sunlight. Those 110+ temps seem a little high . Have you taken a temp reading in the shade of one of your tanks?
Love your cooling system! I first saw this concept in a 'Sunset' magazine 20+ yrs ago. They used it for an energy saving (remember when we cared about that?) house cooling method. They moved air, not water.

[Joaco]

Wow, great job, Rocky! talk about getting busy!! love the step-by-step pics!

Originally posted by scubadude
The only thing I have heard of that scares me is Vultures can tear up a greenhouse and some have been known too (from what I hear) and there are alot round here.

You know...I have been thinking about the diggin'....and a lot of vultures over there....are you sure none of your complaining neighbors is missing??

Maybe if I send my mother-in-law to pay you a visit I get lucky and don't ever see her again?


Joaco

[DukeDog]

Rocky it's really coming along good. I was thinking when we start getting all our rain are your tanks going to stay level being on the ground? You know our steady down pours . I cant wait to get some frags from ya
Jeff

[reefhead]

Joaco, you really have a thing for that Mother in lAw dont ya!

[scubadude]

Originally posted by Joaco

Maybe if I send my mother-in-law to pay you a visit I get lucky and don't ever see her again?

Joaco

Can she use a shovel?.....I dont know man from everything I have heard about your mother inlaw I think im better off taking my chances w/ the buzzards...

Jeff,
Ahhh Yes the afternoon downpour rains that we will be able to set our watches too soon! It downpoured the other day for an hour or so (first time the GH has seen much water) but its so dry around here the ground is soaking it up fairly quick. There is one area in my GH that is lower than the other area, but the tanks are in the highest elevation area....I will just have to hope for the best, but I think I will be ok

Sand-bed,

seems like your air temps are taken in sunlight

Yes that is correct....however I do have thermometers in the tanks too...which as stated above they have not seen above 83 yet ....It all boils down to it gets REAL hot here...and when you totally enclose something it gets even hotter....I do think I will be eventually getting a 3rd fan....and might be running like sprinkler misters in the greenhouse to do evaporative cooling

[sand-bed]

Out here in the arid west, greenhouses use evaporative cooling. I don't know if this will work when the humidity is already at 100%.

The simplest system I've seen was a rain gutter at the top, holes in it to dribble water out, and excelsior pads below. The pads were trapped between wire mesh. A collection gutter on the bottom and a small pump and reservoir to circulate water. This 'cooler' covers the north wall and fans on south wall pull air thru it and out of GH.

This is cheap and low tech. From the looks of you pics you already know how to pump water!